In other words, the land of Israel was always a place in the minds of the Jews where the Jewish national potential could someday be fulfilled.

But, as a practical reality, this did not begin to happen in a significant way until the birth of modern Zionism, not as a religious, but as a political movement.

The re-birth of Israel is an unprecedented phenomenon in human history. That a people should go into exile, be dispersed, and yet survive for 2,000 years, that they should be a nation without a national homeland and come back again, that they should re-establish that homeland is a miraculous, singular event. No one ever did such a thing.

Brief Overview

Before we discuss the Jews' return to their homeland, let us then look back at history and review briefly what had been happening in the Land of Israel from the time that the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, (See Parts 35 thru 37.)

Subsequently, Jerusalem was leveled, rebuilt on the Roman model, and renamed Aeolia Capitolina. The land of Israel was renamed Palestine (after the extinct Philistines, some of the worst enemies of the Jews in ancient times).

From that time, Jews were barred from Jerusalem. The Byzantine Empire (the Constantinople-based Christian version of the Roman Empire) continued the earlier policy, and Jews were not allowed into Jerusalem until the Muslims conquered the Byzantines in 638 CE. (See Part 42.)

Once the Muslims took over the Land of Israel, they held onto it with the brief exception of the period of the Crusades. (See Part 45.)

The Turkish Ottoman Empire held onto power here the longest: from 1518 to 1917. Yet, during all this time, the Muslims generally treated the Holy Land as a backwater province. There was no attempt to make Jerusalem, which was quite run-down, an important capital city and only a few Muslim dynasties attempted to improve its infrastructure (save for Umayyads in the 7th century, the Mameluks in the 13th century the rebuilding of the walls of the city in 16th century during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.) Similarly, only limited building went on in the rest of the land, which was barren and not populated by many Arabs. The only major new city built was Ramle, which served as the Ottoman administrative center.

Mark Twain who visited Israel in 1867 described it like this in Innocents Abroad:

We traversed some miles of desolate country whose soil is rich enough but is given wholly to weeds ― a silent, mournful expanse... A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action. We reached Tabor safely... We never saw a human being on the whole route. We pressed on toward the goal of our crusade, renowned Jerusalem. The further we went the hotter the sun got and the more rocky and bare, repulsive and dreary the landscape became... There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country. No landscape exists that is more tiresome to the eye than that which bounds the approaches to Jerusalem... Jerusalem is mournful, dreary and lifeless. I would not desire to live here. It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land... Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes."

Early Migrations

During the time of the Muslims, life for the Jews here was for the most part easier than under the Christians.

In 1210, following the demise of the Crusaders, several hundred rabbis, known as the Ba'alei Tosefot, re-settled in Israel. This marked the emergence of the first Ashkenazic European community in Israel.

In 1263, the great Rabbi and scholar Nachmanides also known as the Ramban, established a small Sephardic community on Mount Zion which was outside the walls. (See Part 47.) Later, in the 1400s, that community moved inside the walls and they established the Ramban Synagogue which still exists today.

When Nachmanides came to Jerusalem there was already a vibrant Jewish community in Hebron, though the Muslims did not permit them entry into the Cave of the Machpela (where the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried). Indeed, this ban continued until the 20th century.

More Jews started to migrate to Israel following their expulsion from Spain in 1492. In the 16th century, large numbers of Jews migrated to the northern city of Tzfat (also known as Safed) and it became the largest Jewish population in Israel and the center of Jewish mysticism ― the Kabbalah.

In mid-1700s a student of the Ba'al Shem Tov by the name of Gershon Kitover started the first Hassidic community in Israel. This community was part of what was called Old Yishuv. (Today, when in the Old City of Jerusalem, you can visit the "Old Yishuv Court Museum" and learn some fascinating facts about it.)

Another very significant event in the growth of the Jewish community of Israel took place in the early 19th century. Between 1808 and 1812 three groups of disciples of the great rabbi Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer, the Vilna Gaon , numbering about 500 people, came to the land of Israel. Initially they settled in Tzfat in the Galilee, but after several disaster including a devastating earthquake, they settled in Jerusalem. Their impact was tremendous. They founded several new neighborhoods (including Mea Shearim) and set up numerous Kollels (Yeshivot where married men are paid a monthly stipend to study Torah). Their arrival revived the presence of Ashkenazi Jewry in Jerusalem, which for over 100 years had been mainly Sephardi and had a huge impact on the customs and religious practices of the religious community in Israel.

By 1880, there were about 40,000 Jews, living in the land of Israel among some 400,000 Muslims.[1]

One of the major figures of this time period was Moses Montefiore (1784 to 1887) ― the first Jew to be knighted in Britain.

Montefiore had made his fortune with the Rothschilds, who struck it rich in the Napoleonic Wars. They used carrier pigeons and they knew about the victory at Waterloo before anyone else; this is how they made a killing on the English stock market.

With his fortune made by age 40, Montefiore embarked on a career in philanthropy, becoming a tireless worker for the Jewish community of Israel.

At that time, most of the Jews then lived in what is now called the Old City of Jerusalem, specifically in what is now called the "Moslem Quarter." The main entrance to the city for the Jews was through Damascus Gate and of the many synagogues in Jerusalem, many f them were in the "Moslem Quarter" close to the site where the Temple stood on Mount Moriah.

The city was hugely overcrowded and sanitary conditions were terrible, but due to the lawlessness of that time, people were afraid to built homes and live outside.

Montefiore built the first settlement outside the walls of the Old City, called "Yemin Moshe" in 1858. He opened the door and more neighborhoods were built in the New City. One of the earliest ones, built in 1875, was Mea Shearim (which, contrary to popular opinion does not mean "Hundred Gates" but "Hundredfold" as in Genesis 26:12.)

Besides Montefiore, another extremely important personality in this period of time was Baron Edmond de Rothschild (1845 to 1934).

Rothschild was a man who more than anyone else, financially made the re-settlement of Jews in the land of Israel possible. During his lifetime he spent 70 million francs of his own money on various agricultural settlements (Rosh Pina, Zichron Yacov, Pardes Hannah to name but a few) and business enterprises such as the Carmel Winery for example. So important and generous was Rothschild that he was nicknamed HaNadiv HaYaduah, "The Famous Contributor."

Although Rothschild was quite assimilated and disconnected from the Jewish yearning for the land, he was greatly influenced by Rabbi Shmuel Mohilever, who was one of the first religious Zionists from Poland.

Mohilever converted Rothschild to his ideology and from that point on the rich banker began to look at Israel as an "investment." He made it possible for thousands of Jews to return to the land and survive here in those days.

Early Political Zionism

We do not see the appearance of political Zionism until late in the 19th century as a reaction to the intolerable persecution of the Jews of Russia.

The early political Zionists, being largely secular (many had in fact been born into observant homes and then later dropped their observance), did not feel a special yearning for Israel rooted in tradition or religion, rather they felt that the Land of Israel was the only place where Jews could create a national identity, regain their pride and productivity, and hopefully escape the horrible anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia and other places.

One of the main organizations involved in early political Zionism was called Hibbat Zion "the love of Zion" founded in 1870. (Its members were called Hovevei Zion, "lovers of Zion.")

A major personality among the Hovevi Zion was Judah Leob Pinsker (1821-1891). A Polish doctor, Pinsker started out as one of the Maskilim, a group which wanted their fellow Jews to drop Judaism and merge with Russian culture in the hope that if Jews were socially accepted, then Russian anti-Semitism would disappear. (See Part 56.) But after the pogroms following the assassination of Czar Alexander in 1881, he and many other of the Maskilim came to the conclusion that their efforts were futile and anti-Semitism was never going to disappear. Like Theodor Herzl later, Pinsker was shocked at the depth of European anti-Semitism. The only solution, he came to believe, was for Jews to live in their own national homeland. Pinsker published his ideas in a pamphlet called "Auto-Emancipation." In it he penned these memorable words:

"We must reconcile ourselves to the idea that the other nations, by reason of their inherent natural antagonism, will forever reject us."

First Aliyah

In 1882, another important organization was formed in Russia. It was called Bilu, an acronym of the opening words from verse in Isaiah (2:5): Beit Yaacov lechu Venelech meaning, "House of Jacob, come, let us go...

Bilu was very active in the early settlement movement, what came to be called the "First Aliyah" ― the first large migration of Jews from Russia and Romania to the Land of Israel.

Aliyah means "ascent." To migrate to Israel ― to make aliyah ― means to come from a low place and to "go up." (In antiquity the term Aliyah referred to a trip to Jerusalem to visit the Temple, usually during one of the pilgrim festivals: Passover, Shavuot or Succoth, and implied more than a trip up to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem but more importantly to go up to the holiest place on earth ― the Temple.)

The year 1882 marked the first such aliyah, when Jews began to arrive in the land of Israel in droves ― some 30,000 Jews came in two waves between 1882-1891 and founded 28 new settlements.

(Among these new settlements was Hadera, which has been so much in the news lately as the repeated target of vicious terrorist attacks.)

Hundreds of thousands of acres were purchased by these early Zionists from absentee Arab landowners who usually lived elsewhere in the Middle East. The majority of the lands purchased were in areas that were neglected and considered un-developable ― such as the sandy coastal plain or the swampy; malaria infested Hula Valley in the north. Amazingly, and with much effort, these early settlers made the barren land bloom again and drained the swamps. [2]

What drove many of these early immigrants was an idealism that was captured by Zev Dugnov, a member of Bilu:

My final purpose is to take possession of Palestine and to restore to the Jews the political independence for which they have now been denied for two thousand years. Don't laugh. It is not a mirage. It does not matter if that splendid day will come in 50 years' time or more. A period of 50 years is no more than a moment of time for such an undertaking.

In fact, it would take 66 years. Meanwhile, Jews would continue to come, reclaim the land and build a strong political movement demanding back their ancient homeland.

[1]For detailed information on the demographics of Palestine during the Ottoman and British Mandates periods see: Joan Peters, From Time Immemorial ― The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict Over Palestine. (Harper & Row, 1984)

Article 62 of 68 in the series Jewish History

Related Articles:

About the Author

Rabbi Ken Spiro, originally from New Rochelle, NY, graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has rabbinic ordination from Aish Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs such as BBC, National Geographic Channel and The History Channel. He lives near Jerusalem with his wife and five children, where he works as a senior lecturer for Aish Jerusalem.

In one volume, Crash Course in Jewish History explores the 4,000 years of Jewish existence while answering the great questions: Why have the Jewish people been so unique, so impactful, yet so hated and so relentlessly persecuted?

Crash Course in Jewish History is not only comprehensive and readable, it is also entertaining and enlightening. Novices and scholars alike will find Crash Course in Jewish History to be thought-provoking and insightful, as well as a valuable and relevant guide to understanding the challenges we all face in the 21st century.

Visitor Comments: 22

(22)
Gary Katz,
February 26, 2008 2:52 AM

The world needs Israel

It's hard to fathom why so many non-Jews resent the notion of a Jewish state. The same people don't object to the numerous Muslim states, which dwarf Israel geographically. Compare what Israel has accomplished to what all the Muslim states put together have accomplished. When you take Muslim oil out of the equation, it's a shutout. The world doesn't need any more Muslim states. If anything, it could use a few more Israels.

(21)
Carol Long,
February 22, 2008 8:48 AM

Thank you SO much for this enlightening series. I have always loved and admired the Jewish people since I was a young girl in my hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin; I had a wonderful Jewish girlfriend and spent a lot of time in her home. One set of her grandparents were from Russia and one from Poland. The food, the love, the energy to acocmplish in that home was wonderful. I have always read the Old and New Testaments and believed them. But the last few years, I have had such a HUNGER to know more and am drawn to everything Jewish like by a strong magnet. God is doing something wonderful in this time. We pray daily for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem. And Psalm 105 if "our" psalm. God bless you all and thanks you again.

(20)
Winnie Marriner,
February 22, 2008 6:06 AM

Teacher: Adult Bible Class, Montreal

What a thrill to see the God of Israel in the pages of HIS Book, as HE accompanies HIS people throughout history, and is bringing them back to the Land HE gave to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Messiah will rule in Jerusalem! Am Israel Chai! Shalom!

(19)
Sharon,
February 21, 2008 5:32 AM

I admire your objectivity

I just read this chapter and all those that followed, and though your selection of facts to include may have slightly have differed from what I would have included, I think you did quite a good job of presenting some of the more controversial issues in a light which considered all parties' motivations without being too judgemental. For instance, I appreciated your depiction of Herzl as a person who sacrificed a great deal for the Jewish people and took it to heart. Knowing that he'd preferred complete Jewish assimilation, I'd never much respected him. And living in Israel where every city has a major street named Herzl, I'm happy to have another perspective. Your presentation of the various religious points of view were also presented with rare understanding. You even explained the British attitude towards the Arabs in pragmatic economic terms (because of their oil), though only anti-Semitism can explain the enforcement of the White Paper. Thanks also to AISH for this and so many other enjoyable reading material.

(18)
Roy L. Baker,
February 19, 2008 8:01 PM

Praise God for May 14, 1948

I grew up in an evangelical christian church. Well do I remember when our pastor told us about the nation of Israel that had been birthed in one day according to the prophecies of old. He read many scriptures from Isaiah and elsewhere about how the Jews would come back to their homeland. Then he tied this in with what Jesus had said about the fig tree and how it applied to His second coming. The whole church rejoiced and clapped their hands much as in the days of Nemiah and Ezra.

(17)
alex rosenfeld,
February 19, 2008 3:07 PM

the series is super.

The meaningful series has fueled my desire to know more of my family's history and landmark achievements in Israel. As best I can tell my father's family can be traced to the early 1800's in Jerusalem. Spurred to complete aliyah, I found that the promises made were not kept but my determionation is continuing complete with home in our recent historical city of Rishon Lezzion. How very apt and totally unexpected. There is little doubt that HaShem has had and continues to have a meaningful part in my life.

(16)
Floyd,
February 19, 2008 2:58 PM

From a Christian in California

As in almost all the others, I really have appreciated reading them. As a devout Christian, I am commanded to love and support you--and the Free State of Israel. Your histories have deepened my appreciation for the Jewish people and strengthened my love and support for the nation of Israel. Keep up the good work.

(15)
Grace Fishenfeld,
August 13, 2007 10:49 AM

Israel

I am grateful for the information that I have gathered from these lessons. Now I know where the name Palestine comes from and that Israel was violated further by renaming her in honor of Israels past enemies, the Phillistenes . The reclaiming of the land along with its original name is only fair. How amazingly grateful we are to celebrate the return of the Jewish homeland.

(14)
Jason Messana,
February 8, 2005 12:00 AM

'Crash Course' is College-Worthy!

I would just like to say 'Thank You' for so much valuable information. I use a variety of facts, statistics, and historical anecdotes from this site in my Introduction to Western Traditions class at a small, midwestern college. The only problem I have with 'Crash Course' is that there is too much information for me to pack into my class (which covers several traditions) and find myself constantly rewriting my lecture notes. Aside from www.jewfaq.org, Aish.com is a site I highly recommend to my students for further reading on Jewish History.

(13)
Menashe Kaltmann,
September 29, 2003 12:00 AM

The Religious Aliyah

An excellent article. Well Done again Rabbi Spira!

I was a little bit surprised that you didn't speak more about the Waves of Religious Aliyahs (Immigration to Israel) over the last 200 to 300 years that preceded Secular and Political Zionism.'
Three waves of immiigration stand out:
(1) The Chassidic Aliyah the thousands of students and their families of the earlier Chassidic leaders. Many of them went with the Blessing of The Holy Baal Shem Tov Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov the founder of the Chassidic movement and his successors. Many followed later and were Talmidim, students of The Magid of Mezrich The Baal Shem Tov's successor. (Incidentally Rabbi Gershon Kitover who is mentioned in this article was the brother in law and also student and "Chossid" of The Baal Shem Tov. He is the recepient of the famous letter that the Baal Shem Tov sent to him in Israel which says Moshiach will come when the wellsprings of Chassidus are spread all over the world. Rabbi Gershom settled in Akko (Acre) I Believe.)
Other Chassidim also followed and were supported by Jewish people in Eastern Europe. (Also incidentally this was the premise for those to accuse The first Rebbe of Chabad/Lubavitch The Saintly Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi who was denouced to Russian authorities for sending money to a foreign power The Ottomon Empire which ruled the Land of Israel at that time. Rabbi Schneur Zalman sat in prison as a result of this false accusation before being released on Yud Tes Kislev.)
(2) The Students of the Saintly Vilna Gaon (The GR"A of Blessed Memory) - Many of the Saintly Gaon's students fulfilled his wish that they go to the Land of Israel. Many left Europe with their families. They undertook this arduous trip to Israel and settled in Jerusalem and Safed.
They generally got on really well with The Chassidim who had settled in Israel. Many religious practices and customs and Halachot in Jerusalem follow the Saintly Gra's interpretation as many of his students came and settled and had a real influence on the then religious "Yishuv" settlement.
Many of these followers of The GRa Tz'l had real "Messias Nefesh" self sacrifice to settle and stay in Israel. Parnassa - earning a livelihood wasn't easy for them to say the least!

(3) The Yemenite Immigration - over a hundred years ago many Yemenite Jews came to Israel. They left Yemen I believe because of a deep religious feeling and want to be in Israel as the Redemption was becoming nearer.

(12)
Raphi,
September 21, 2003 12:00 AM

Excellent synopsis!

Excellent! I will be posting this article in a newsletter I publish for A Toronto synagogue.

(11)
Gary Selikow,
January 24, 2003 12:00 AM

Jews and Israel

I would like to thank MA Yates for his comments below, which are a classic example of some of the anti-Semitism we have been looking at in this series.

"At some levels your demands to achieve the stated goal places the entire global community at risk".

Once more there are those who claim that the existence of the Jews, puts the whole world at risk.

In this case the right of the Jews to our homeland.

They do not make this charge in regard to the occupation of Tibet by China, or the drive by Islamic Fundamentalism to destroy the West and overtake the world. Only in regard to the Jewish people maintaining our rights in our own homeland.

Of course people like your contributor will protest that they are not anti-Semitic, they are merely anti-Zionist.

In answer to this very common refrain of those who hate Israel, I refer you the words of the late Martin Luther King:

"... You declare, my friend; that you do not hate the Jews, you are merely 'anti-Zionist'. And I say, let the truth ring forth from the high mountain tops, let it echo through the valleys of G-d's green earth: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews -- this is G-d's own truth.

"Anti-Semitism, the hatred of the Jewish people, has been and remains a blot on the soul of mankind. In this we are in full agreement. So know also this: anti-Zionist is inherently anti-Semitic, and ever will be so.

"Why is this? You know that Zionism is nothing less than the dream and ideal of the Jewish people returning to live in their own land. The Jewish people, the Scriptures tell us, once enjoyed a flourishing Commonwealth in the Holy Land. Fromtthis they were expelled by the Roman tryant. Driven from their homeland, their nation in ashes, forced to wander the globe, the Jewish people time and again suffered the lash of whichever tyrant happened to rule over them.

"The Negro people, my friend, know what it is to suffer the torment of tyranny under rulers not of our choosing. Our brothers in Africa have begged, pleaded, requested -- DEMANDED -- the recognition and realization of our inborn right to live in peace under our own sovereignty in our own country.

"How easy it should be, for anyone who holds dear this inalienable right of all mankind, to understand and support the right of the Jewish People to live in their ancient Land of Israel. All men of good will exult in the fulfillment of G-d's promise, that His people should return in joy to rebuild their plundered land. This is Zionism, nothing more, nothing less.

"And what is anti-Zionist? It is the denial to the Jewish people of a fundamental right that we justly claim for the people of Africa and freely accord all other nations of the Globe. It is discrimination against Jews, my friend, because they are Jews. In short, it is anti-Semitism.

"The anti-Semite rejoices at any opportunity to vent his malice. The times have made it unpopular, in the West, to proclaim openly a hatred of the Jews. This being the case, the anti-Semite must constantly seek new forms and forums for his poison. How he must revel in the new masquerrade! He does not hate the Jews, he is just 'anti-Zionist'!

"My friend, I do not accuse you of deliberate anti-Semitism. I know you feel, as I do, a deep love of truth and justice and revulsion for racism, prejudice, and discrimination. But I know you have been misled -- as others have been -- into thinking you can be 'anti-Zionist' and yet remain true to those heartfelt principles that you and I share. Let my words echo in the depths of your soul: When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews -- make no mistake about it."

(10)
Michael Robison,
May 26, 2002 12:00 AM

Great Site

Super site! Well thought out and very well orginized. Thanks.

(9)
Michael Bailey,
May 25, 2002 12:00 AM

Thanks

Thanks for informative series -- in response to visitor comment from mayates1, a) How does a willingness to contemplate Israel's founding requiring 50 years or more, equate with irrational extremism. I think you should reread the comment
b) If Israel treated the Palestinians the way the USA treated the Amerind People, there wouldn't be enough of them left to worry about.
Peace and Love, may God send both.

(8)
M Yates,
April 2, 2002 12:00 AM

concerns

What drove many of these early immigrants was an idealism that
was captured by Zev Dugnov, a member of Bilu:

"My final purpose is to take possession of Palestine and to restore to the Jews the political independence for which they have now been denied for two thousand
years. Don't laugh. It is not a mirage. It does not matter if that splendid day will come in 50-years' time or more. A period of 50 years is no more than a moment of time for such an undertaking."

I am an average U.S. citizen trying to understand the dynamics of the situation between Palestine and Israel.

If I understand the above quote, it appears the goal of the Jews is a complete and unadulterated state at any cost(s).

While the history of the U.S. reveals our government tried to claim all lands from the American Indians for itself, they evolved into an understanding (although not the best) that this was not ethical. While this is not and never will be an ideal solution, we co-exist and try to improve in spite of our history.

My question is -- why is it necessary to have complete and separate? Haven't you learned from the past that the costs of this are just more pain and suffering? At some levels your demands to achieve the stated goal places the entire global community at risk.

As humans we have learned to compromise for the best of all, not for the needs of a few.

(7)
Rony Shapira,
January 31, 2002 12:00 AM

Translate into Hebrew

Dear Rabbi Spiro.
This work of yours is amazing, thank you very much.
I think that it should be translated into Hebrew for our younger generation here in Israel to learn it too.

(6)
Pamela Fitzgerald,
January 28, 2002 12:00 AM

Informative

I appreciate Aish.com articles. They are very informative.Thanks

(5)
Evelyn Waltman,
January 28, 2002 12:00 AM

I have learned so much

I am a gentile Sunday school teacher.
I love everything I can learn about the Jews and have a special for them.
Thank you so much for this study.

(4)
Anonymous,
January 28, 2002 12:00 AM

great articles. this one had a small error that R Gershon Kitover was the Baal Shem's talmid. he was also his brother-in-law.

(3)
emil Pimentelli,
January 28, 2002 12:00 AM

read all this report is beautiful something to remember, keep up with our heritage.

Shalom

(2)
Phelippe Salazar,
January 27, 2002 12:00 AM

The best series yet for a quick understanding of our heritage. Thank you.

Your series are outstanding. It gives the reader an understanding of his heritage and teaches the history of our people. Thank you.

(1)
MICHAEL SMITH,
January 27, 2002 12:00 AM

EXCELLENT, INFORMATIVE HISTORY SERIES

I JUST FINISHED READING THIS SERIES UP TO THIS POINT (PART 62) TODAY, JAN. 27, 2002 AFTER STARTING WITH PART 1 ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. THIS SERIES WAS VERY INFORMATIVE FOR ME AND A VALUABLE LESSON. I AM NOT JEWISH NOR DO I IDENTIFY WITH ANY PARTICULAR RELIGION. SO INITIALLY I THOUGHT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND OR RELATE TO THE ISSUES DISCUSSED. HOWEVER, I AM AN AVID STUDENT OF HISTORY AND QUICKLY REALIZED THAT MY INITIAL 'CONCERNS' WERE UNFOUNDED. NOTE: I FOUND THIS SITE WHILE TRYING TO FIND OUT THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD 'GHETTO' ON GOOGLE.COM. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE REMAINING PARTS OF THIS SERIES. I BOOKMARKED THIS SITE! MIKE

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

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